Hmmm. I was hoping to try and go between sessions of the rugby sevens at the Pan Am games. That may not work out so well...Cass wrote:I made the mistake of trying to go after a TFC game
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Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!
The Craft Brasserie & Grille
They also had a number of 5 star reviews on facebook before they opened, with comments like "I can't wait to try this place!" People are idiots.napoleon wrote:Glad to hear it's good. When they first opened they had some pretty rocky Yelp reviews, but sounds just like growing pains. Their later reviews have all been 4 and 5 stars, so now is probably a better time to go anyway compared to when they opened.
Went last night with a friend after watching the Rugby sevens. Huge place and we had to move tables as we were placed close to a group of people celebrating someone's birthday. I had West Avenue Heritage Dry Cider and this is the first time I've had this. I like it but prefer Twin Pines Hammerbent or Beaver Valley flagship cider. I also had Left Field Eephus. What a great beer and I will have to pick some up soon. For food I had the pulled pork. Really good and it was nice and spicy. I also wish they served true pints and not 16oz. I can't see going back unless I'm in the area for something else.
Unfortunaly Argentina beat Canada 21-7 http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/panamga ... -team.html but other than that result it was a good day. Ticket cost $25 and for that I got 11 15 minute matches plus transit for the entire day.
Very fast game and if you are interested you should show up today. Last year Bein Sports showed the Premiership Rugby 7's and the may do that again this year http://www.premiershiprugby.com/matchce ... BIwPmTw.97
Unfortunaly Argentina beat Canada 21-7 http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/panamga ... -team.html but other than that result it was a good day. Ticket cost $25 and for that I got 11 15 minute matches plus transit for the entire day.
Very fast game and if you are interested you should show up today. Last year Bein Sports showed the Premiership Rugby 7's and the may do that again this year http://www.premiershiprugby.com/matchce ... BIwPmTw.97
I went back here recently and I was pleasantly surprised when we ordered appetizers and they were actually the size of appetizers. When I went on opening night, a ~5oz cup of garlic fries was $6 but now you actually get what would be considered a normal sized bowl at other restaurants.
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El Pinguino
- Seasoned Drinker
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- Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2005 6:02 pm
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Almost stopped in for lunch today....but had work to do this afternoon 
They seem to be promoting some unique menu items....a nice change from typical pub/bar foods.
They seem to be promoting some unique menu items....a nice change from typical pub/bar foods.
I made the mistake of going before a Canada game. The place was pretty dead, but still had more life than the men's national team that night.Cass wrote:I made the mistake of trying to go after a TFC game
Hopefully I can make it there soon!
Strong beer list, mostly with the flagship brews. Prices seemed okay. Good range of Ontario brewers not available elsewhere, as well as a smattering of US brewers with beers that didn't interest me that day. The food looks really good, though I didn't get to try it. While the selection is broad, I'd be a little wary. I tried a sampler of three new(ish) Ontario beers as well as Rogue Hazelnut, which is my guilty pleasure. The Rainhard pale ale with citra was very pleasant - I remember tasting some of his beers in a home brewing contest years ago, and I'm glad to see such a good translation of quality. The other two Ontario beers tasted like something I could have homebrewed - both were vegetal and missed the mark.
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instantkamera
- Posts: 220
- Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2012 5:45 pm
- Location: Browntown
Popped in last Friday before Refused/FNM at Ricoh. Expected a 5:30pm Friday to be crazy, so I booked a reservation earlier that day.
Well, that wasn't necessary, it was fairly dead upon arrival, though by 7:10 (when we left) it was lively, still not packed. The place is huge with two very large rooms, one with the bar being the busier/noisier of the two.
Service was fantastic, the servers were are helpful as they needed to be without being too imposing. He picked up on my knowledge of beer and went with it, which I appreciated. Food was absolutely solid.
I got two flights; a "main" with some pales and lighter ales I hadn't tried, and a "dessert" to close with some more malt fwd and high abv offerings.
As for the numerous taps, the place is like a mashup of a Bier Markt and something more local-centric like BarHop. Maybe leaning a little more toward the former, but the selection is pleasing, even if I've had much of it before.
To expand on that, though, I really tried to impress upon the server that those local/ontario brews that AREN'T hitting the shelves of the LCBO are what will keep the beer devotees coming back. If they fail to rotate the taps often enough with new offerings, I can see the initial interest start to wane a little. That said, proximity to Ricoh/BMO/Ex is great, so perhaps they will thrive there regardless.
Though I enjoyed most of what I had, beer of the evening went to one I've had a number of times; DDC Aphrodisiaque. It was an awesome surprise to see it served on nitro, which takes that beer up a notch for me and doesn't subtract at all from the flavour.
4/5
Well, that wasn't necessary, it was fairly dead upon arrival, though by 7:10 (when we left) it was lively, still not packed. The place is huge with two very large rooms, one with the bar being the busier/noisier of the two.
Service was fantastic, the servers were are helpful as they needed to be without being too imposing. He picked up on my knowledge of beer and went with it, which I appreciated. Food was absolutely solid.
I got two flights; a "main" with some pales and lighter ales I hadn't tried, and a "dessert" to close with some more malt fwd and high abv offerings.
As for the numerous taps, the place is like a mashup of a Bier Markt and something more local-centric like BarHop. Maybe leaning a little more toward the former, but the selection is pleasing, even if I've had much of it before.
To expand on that, though, I really tried to impress upon the server that those local/ontario brews that AREN'T hitting the shelves of the LCBO are what will keep the beer devotees coming back. If they fail to rotate the taps often enough with new offerings, I can see the initial interest start to wane a little. That said, proximity to Ricoh/BMO/Ex is great, so perhaps they will thrive there regardless.
Though I enjoyed most of what I had, beer of the evening went to one I've had a number of times; DDC Aphrodisiaque. It was an awesome surprise to see it served on nitro, which takes that beer up a notch for me and doesn't subtract at all from the flavour.
4/5
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Napalm Frog
- Posts: 224
- Joined: Mon May 04, 2015 10:01 am
- Location: Toronto
I've been here twice in the past month to grab a bunch of flights and snack food.The majority of their servers don't have strong beer knowledge, and what they do pipe is generic canned lines about the style. However, the selection is pretty solid. I'm not sure how often they rotate taps (they have a published menu online, and their in-house menu is a nicer semi-permanent looking one), but I overheard one waitress that within the upcoming week they are expecting 30 beers rotated in. I'm not sure if this includes beers they were out of stock of, though. But stock does seem replenished if it does run out (my second visit within 3 weeks they had the Spirit Tree dry hopped cider back).
The above mention of this being a Bar Hop / BierMarkt mashup sounds like a pretty good comparison, maybe throw in the post-reno Loose Moose for that sports bar feel and it's bang on.
The above mention of this being a Bar Hop / BierMarkt mashup sounds like a pretty good comparison, maybe throw in the post-reno Loose Moose for that sports bar feel and it's bang on.
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El Pinguino
- Seasoned Drinker
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- Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2005 6:02 pm
- Location: Downtown TO / Galapagos Islands
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Ya, I'd say Loose Moose / Bier Markt mashup more than anything.
Visited a couple of times now too and enjoyed my food and drinks. They have a M-F deal on from 4-8pm or something with many food and drinks on special, worth stopping by at that time.
Visited a couple of times now too and enjoyed my food and drinks. They have a M-F deal on from 4-8pm or something with many food and drinks on special, worth stopping by at that time.
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instantkamera
- Posts: 220
- Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2012 5:45 pm
- Location: Browntown
Never been to Loose Moose, but I'll allow it. It's basically a larger Beertown with a notch less American Macro influence.Napalm Frog wrote:I've been here twice in the past month to grab a bunch of flights and snack food.The majority of their servers don't have strong beer knowledge, and what they do pipe is generic canned lines about the style. However, the selection is pretty solid. I'm not sure how often they rotate taps (they have a published menu online, and their in-house menu is a nicer semi-permanent looking one), but I overheard one waitress that within the upcoming week they are expecting 30 beers rotated in. I'm not sure if this includes beers they were out of stock of, though. But stock does seem replenished if it does run out (my second visit within 3 weeks they had the Spirit Tree dry hopped cider back).
The above mention of this being a Bar Hop / BierMarkt mashup sounds like a pretty good comparison, maybe throw in the post-reno Loose Moose for that sports bar feel and it's bang on.
Awesome to hear that they are doing SOME rotation. To be honest, if you are from TO there's not a tonne of incentive to go there anyway, but for people attending events in the area, it's a nice option.
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cratez
- Beer Superstar
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- Joined: Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:29 pm
- Location: Brantford, Ontario
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Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but some of these comments are a little strange.
The Craft is not like Bar Hop, as it's roughly four times the size, has over triple the taps, draws a less beer geeky crowd, and the staff – while efficient and friendly – are not as knowledgeable about beer. It's not like Bier Markt, as it doesn't focus almost exclusively on European and American imports or turn into a nightclub/pickup bar after 8pm. It has much better food than Beertown, doesn't serve core macro brands (AFAIK), and doesn't seem to attract many families (like BT does). I know young families are starting to locate in Liberty Village, but in my three visits to Craft, I haven't seen any in the restaurant area or at the bar. It has some similarities with Loose Moose – large tap list, ball games on the flat screens, a predominantly young, non-beer-geek crowd – but it's far less sports bar-like IMO.
For the most part, The Craft is it's own unique place that doesn't have many comparisons in Toronto. As I mentioned before, the closest equivalent I've come across is some of the Yard Houses in the States, which broadly follow the "large, young, approachable gastropub with many taps" model that Craft has adopted. But I don't really see it as being a mashup of random T.O. bars that have their own distinct identities and followings.
The one thing I would agree with is that their tap list is indeed a mix of beers offered at Bar Hop, Bier Markt, Loose Moose, and barVolo, and that's a big reason why The Craft is worth visiting. For example, at different points in time I've been able to get Arrogant Bastard, Clifford Porter, and 504 Pale at Bar Hop, but Craft is where I can drink all three in one session. That being said, they still don't get as many rarities/one-offs as Bar Hop, Volo, or The Only.
The Craft is not like Bar Hop, as it's roughly four times the size, has over triple the taps, draws a less beer geeky crowd, and the staff – while efficient and friendly – are not as knowledgeable about beer. It's not like Bier Markt, as it doesn't focus almost exclusively on European and American imports or turn into a nightclub/pickup bar after 8pm. It has much better food than Beertown, doesn't serve core macro brands (AFAIK), and doesn't seem to attract many families (like BT does). I know young families are starting to locate in Liberty Village, but in my three visits to Craft, I haven't seen any in the restaurant area or at the bar. It has some similarities with Loose Moose – large tap list, ball games on the flat screens, a predominantly young, non-beer-geek crowd – but it's far less sports bar-like IMO.
For the most part, The Craft is it's own unique place that doesn't have many comparisons in Toronto. As I mentioned before, the closest equivalent I've come across is some of the Yard Houses in the States, which broadly follow the "large, young, approachable gastropub with many taps" model that Craft has adopted. But I don't really see it as being a mashup of random T.O. bars that have their own distinct identities and followings.
The one thing I would agree with is that their tap list is indeed a mix of beers offered at Bar Hop, Bier Markt, Loose Moose, and barVolo, and that's a big reason why The Craft is worth visiting. For example, at different points in time I've been able to get Arrogant Bastard, Clifford Porter, and 504 Pale at Bar Hop, but Craft is where I can drink all three in one session. That being said, they still don't get as many rarities/one-offs as Bar Hop, Volo, or The Only.
"Bar people do not live as long as vegan joggers. However, they have more fun." - Bruce Elliott
I had a very good visit here last night. I definitely benefited from having the bar manager Matt cover our table. He certainly knew his stuff and was impressed when after a few questions about what types of beers I like, suggested the Clifford Porter. All beers we had were in good condition.
He was very enthusiastic that several people at the table were into beer and he had good pairing suggestions for the food. Food was above average to good. Certainly nothing you’d go out of the way to get but I wouldn’t hesitate to order there again.
It was a great place to watch a Jays game and yes, it’s like a non-beer geek bar (shoeless joes etc.) plus great beer.
He was very enthusiastic that several people at the table were into beer and he had good pairing suggestions for the food. Food was above average to good. Certainly nothing you’d go out of the way to get but I wouldn’t hesitate to order there again.
It was a great place to watch a Jays game and yes, it’s like a non-beer geek bar (shoeless joes etc.) plus great beer.
It feels like a sports bar that actually has lots of great beer, which was a rarity (maybe even non-existent) when I used to go to bars on a regular basis.
I enjoyed the Sunlight Park Saison and the Dieu du Ciel vanilla stout. The young woman who served me at the bar sounded knowledgeable enough about the beer and gave me a sample of another which I asked about but didn't order. She said they get every type of customer from beer geeks to TFC supporters ordering a "beer flight" with just those beers with the highest % alcohol and/or sexy names
- Aphrodite, Dirty Blonde, etc.
I enjoyed the Sunlight Park Saison and the Dieu du Ciel vanilla stout. The young woman who served me at the bar sounded knowledgeable enough about the beer and gave me a sample of another which I asked about but didn't order. She said they get every type of customer from beer geeks to TFC supporters ordering a "beer flight" with just those beers with the highest % alcohol and/or sexy names
- Aphrodite, Dirty Blonde, etc.